"Why—why—the fact is, it would seem——"
"What would it seem?"
"Seem—seem—so very ungrateful."
"Ingratitude is to be sure a heinous sin," said Fanny shaking her head, and laughing incredulously.
The next day, Lord Berwick received Sophia's permission to write to her father, stating his wish to become his son-in-law, and further begging my father to be present at the ceremony which, with his permission, was to take place on the following day, for the purpose of giving his daughter away, that fair lady being under age.
My father was a proud Swiss, rather unpopular, and a deep mathematician. We were never in our youth either allowed to address him or speak in his presence, except in low whispers, for fear of driving a problem out of his head. He valued his sons according to the progress they made in that science. For the girls, he felt all the contempt due to those who voted plus x minus y a dead bore.
He was remarkably handsome, with white teeth, expressive eyes, and eyebrows which used to frighten us half out of our senses.
Lord Berwick, as well as many more, has often declared himself to have been much struck with that noble air for which my father was particularly distinguished.
The good gentleman was of course flattered on his own account, and probably thought, with the man in Bluebeard, that,—
'Tis a very fine thing to be father-in-law
To a rich, and magnificent, three-tailed Bashaw.